Jumabunguzi Cooperative secures a 2.2 Million kwacha grant to boost its Warehouse business

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Agriculture

Jumabunguzi Cooperative is under the GIZ Kulima MEIRA project being implemented in Salima and Dedza districts targeting Smallholder farmer organizations and micro, small or medium sized enterprises (MSMEs). Members are equipped with knowledge and skills on collective marketing, farmer organization techniques, business training and negotiation skills in the market in order to grow their businesses so that they provide goods and services at a profit.

Located in Jobe village, Group Village Mgawi, Traditional Authority Maganga in Salima District, the cooperative deals in Collective marketing of Maize and groundnuts, Bulk input procurement of herbicides and other inputs.

The cooperative started off as a cluster in 2016 and the members decided to form a cooperative the same year. The total membership that time was 35 of which 20 men and 15 women. The cooperative now has 60 members in total, 45 female and 15 males. In 2019, the group registered as a cooperative with the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism. The cooperative has also received a 700 metric tonnes warehouse and a 2.2 million grant for warehouse operations and investment into businesses from the Agricultural Commodity Exchange for Africa (ACE).

Chifundo Nailuwa, a trainer coach under the project explains how the work done by the cooperative has impressed him. “Within a short period that Jumabunguzi has been on the FO Cycle project (8 months), it has achieved tremendous progress: it has registered with the Ministry of Tourism & Trade, received a grant worth MK2.2 Million and so forth. Members of Jumabunguzi acknowledges that the FO Cycle training has accelerated the success of the group because the content of training has inspired the group reaching for higher achievements. It is not common to see positive impact of a project within a short period of time, so as Trainer/Coach for the group I am proud and happy to see beneficiaries of the project narrating the positive impact the project has on them and for the first time the FO has a positive outlook for the future”

The project is being implemented through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MoITT), the project is working with various implementing Organisations including DAPP Malawi

Giz Kulima Meira project benefits Chakuwala Farmer Organisation

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Agriculture

Chakuwala Farmers Organisation in Traditional Authority Khombedza, Salima districts is one of the Famers Organisation (FO) under the GIZ Kulima Meira project. Formed in 2014 by members from Group Village Head (GVH) Chimphanga. The main purpose of the club was to collectively access markets for their produce. They have 301 women and 132 men totaling to 433 members.

Through the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MoITT), the project worked with various implementing partners including DAPP Malawi. DAPP Malawi as a business development service provider for GIZ Kulima MIERA project trained 10 Farmer Organizations of which seven are in Salima and three in Dedza districts.
The project’s target was smallholder farmer organizations and micro, small or medium sized enterprises (MSMEs) and equips them with knowledge and skills on collective marketing, farmer organization techniques, business training and negotiation skills in the market in order to grow their businesses so that they provide goods and services at a profit.

Farmer organisation members listening attentively during a meeting

Blessings Kainja, a trainer coach for DAPP Malawi under the project explains the changes that the project has bought to the farmer organisation (FO).
“Looking back to where Chakuwala FO was at the beginning of training block 1 in October 2018 and comparing it now, I am so proud of the achievements the FO has registered within a short period of time. Members now appreciate the importance of service provision at a fee which brings not only more incomes to them through collective marketing/bulk input purchase but also leave cash within the FO in form of commission.
It is also encouraging to see the members implementing most of the work outlined on their Action Plan. These things motivate me as a trainer-coach who has vigorously coached the members and I am hopeful that if the FO continues on this path, the probability of becoming one of the most promising FO’s in the central region is high”

The GIZ Kulima MIERA project commenced in August 2018 and phases out July 2019.
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Farmers’ Cooperatives Realizing Profits

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Agriculture

DAPP Malawi in Partnership with GIZ under the KULIMA MIERA project is working with 10 Farmers Organisations (FO) in Salima and Dedza districts.
The project targets to train the farmers organised in their organisation/cooperatives in activities that will impart knowledge and skills in order to improve their performance in commercialising their agricultural produce.
The aim of the project is to close the gaps in value chain, link the FOs to agro-dealers, input suppliers, and financial service providers.
A recent visit by DAPP Malawi to one of the FOs in Salima district, Msangu Produceres and Marketing Cooperatives, indicates that the farmers are able to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during their trainings.

The trainings which are organised by GIZ and DAPP focus on the knowledge and skills in collective marketing, farmer organisation techniques, and business and negotiation in the market. This enables them to grow their businesses and provide goods and services at a profit.
Msangu Cooperative in Traditional Authority Maganga has a membership of 197 small scale farmers who joined forces and grow agricultural produces, buy crops for reselling and value addititon activities to maximise their products.
The cooperatives comprise of 9 clusters that have farmers’ clubs falling under them. Founded in 2007 as a club of 18 farmers, it was later opened up for new members in 2010 which led to the formulation of the cooperative.
According to Lydia Wilson, the Vice Chair of Msangu Cooperative, Msangu now has a business plan and the organisation is able to record their activities after undergoing the training.
“We are able to make accurate calculations of the money we raise from selling our produce and track the profits being realised. We used to have business plans but following the skills acquired during the training, now out plans are clear and easy to understand,” said Wilson.
Msangu cooperative members grow crops that range from rice, soya beans, groundnuts, sweet potatoes and maize among others.
The organisation said it prides in being suppliers of food crops to three primary schools of Mafco, Parachute Batallion and Sengabay in the district for their school feeding programs.
Farmer Organizations in Malawi are faced with numerous challenges that affect the development of their agriculture activities as well as development of their agri-business enterprises.
The capacity building activities in the project include leadership training, technical capacity building (planning, budgeting, record keeping, book keeping, report writing, collective sourcing of inputs and collective selling of farm produces) and linkages to government extension services so that FOs can effectively manage their members and enterprises.

Advance Famers Club Project Benefitting Many

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Agriculture

Brenda Hawad is a mother of 3 children residing in Kameza Village, Traditional Authority Nkukula in Dowa district. She is the chairlady of Umodzi club which was formed under the DAPP Advance famers club project, an extension of the previous DAPP Dowa farmers project which phased out in 2015.

“I have learnt so many things under this project, all thanks to the field officers from DAPP. I now know how to construct firewood saving stoves, pothole planting, vegetable gardening and conservation farming, livestock management and HIV & Aids prevention techniques” she said

Brenda gives her testimony on how the project has benefited her

“Through my club, I have had the chance to participate in a livestock pass-on loan initiative in which I got a pig and now I have two pigs. Last year I sold six piglets and used the money to buy fertilizer. I am happy to say that I harvested more than enough for me and my family” she said

Brenda and the rest of the club’s members have also formed a Village saving loan group (VSLG) and have seen the benefit of it. “Through this group, I have been able to support my brother at the Police Academy and he is now working as a Police man” she said. She believes that her future is so bright and the best is yet to come.

Development Fund of Norway Visits Advance Famers club Dowa

Written by DAPP Malawi. Posted in Agriculture

DAPP Advance Farmers club is an extension of the previous DAPP Chiradzulu Farmers Club and Dowa Farmers Club which phased out in 2015. The project is being implemented in Dowa and Chiradzulu districts with support from the Social Development Fund (SDF) and the Ministry of Trade and Industries through the Trade Related Facility (TRF).

Group photo with DAPP Devlopment Fund of Norway and the famers

Currently being implemented in the areas of Traditional Authority Msakambewa, Mkukula, Chakhaza and Dzoole in Dowa district, the project is working with 6,000 farmers who are organized in 80 clubs and 7 Cooperatives. The project aims at improving living standards of small-scale farmers through strengthening competitiveness of the country’s oil seed exports and promotes the production, value addition and export of oil seeds particularly sunflower, soya bean and groundnuts products

On the 7th of May, DAPP held a joint field visit with Development Fund of Norway with the aim of showcasing what the Advance Farmers Club is doing within the Cooperatives. Mr Mahara Nyirenda, a representative from Development Fund of Norway expressed his satisfaction by saying “These cooperatives are doing great things. I had the opportunity of visiting Madisi cooperatives, where they have a warehouse and they produce sunflower cooking oil. This is an impressive development” he said.

DAPP Malawi has been working in partnership with the Ministry of Trade and Tourism in implementing the Trade Related Facility (TRF) project since December 2018 and will phase out in December 2019.

Jumabunguzi Cooperative secures a 2.2 Million kwacha grant to boost its Warehouse business

Some members of the Cooperative

Produce

Giz Kulima Meira project benefits Chakuwala Farmer Organisation

Members with some of the produce

Farmer organisation members listening attentively during a meeting

Farmers’ Cooperatives Realizing Profits

Members of Msangu Cooperative

Part of the produce in a warehouse

Advance Famers Club Project Benefitting Many

Brenda gives her testimony on how the project has benefited her

Some Beneficiaries Received Goats

Development Fund of Norway Visits Advance Famers club Dowa

Group photo with DAPP Devlopment Fund of Norway and the famers

Cooperative members

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